Clapper rail

The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans) is a member of the rail family, Rallidae. The taxonomy for this species is confusing and still being determined. The Ridgway's rail and the mangrove rail have been recently split. Furthermore, some taxonomists consider that the king rail and Aztec rail should be considered within this group, as those birds look similar and the birds are known to interbreed where they share territories. The clapper rail is found along the Atlantic coasts of the eastern U.S., Gulf of Mexico, eastern Mexico, some Caribbean islands, and south through eastern Central America, as well at several inland locales.